Custom Deal Toys: What to Include in the Wording and Design

If you’re arranging awards after a transaction closes, you may already know who you want to recognize but are still deciding what the pieces should look like and say. There may be several partners, company names, and logos to include, on top of more than one version of the transaction description in circulation.

A custom deal toy, also called a financial tombstone, commemorates a transaction milestone. To begin the design discussion, it helps to bring together the approved transaction wording, permitted logos, quantities, recipient details and required arrival date. Then a direction or trophy style can be selected knowing what the award needs to accommodate.

What wording should go on a custom deal toy?

The inscription should identify the transaction or milestone using official names for companies, values, and dates. Depending on the occasion, that may include the participating organizations, a short transaction description and the completion date. Do not includes values, additional participants or logos that have not been approved. 

For example, your team might use a short project name internally while the announcement uses a the companies’ legal names. Before submitting your details for an artwork proof, agree which version belongs on the award and who will review and approve the final details for the orders production.

Keeping the approved text in one document, with a version number and one point of contact, makes the design breif more clear, and later changes easier to follow. If the wording is updated, send a replacement version so there is no uncertainty about which text the designer should use.

Will everyone receive the same format?

You may be recognizing colleagues, advisers and a client team for the same transaction, but the awards may be displayed in different places. A colleague might keep theirs on a desk, while a client team may want a shared display in a meeting room. That is a useful distinction to discuss before settling on one model for everyone.

If you want a wall-mounted piece, the Integrity Display Frame is one format you can compare with the available space. Desktop and other options can be explored in the deal toy collection. Our financial tombstone guide also introduces the category.

What information helps with the design brief?

You don’t need to resolve every design question before making an inquiry. The following details give us a starting point for discussing the options:

• The occasion: the completed transaction or milestone you want to recognize.
• The recipients and quantity: who will receive a piece and how many are needed for each version.
• The display setting: desk, shelf or wall, including any size restrictions.
• The approved inscription: company names, transaction description, date and any other permitted details.
• The branding: approved logo files and guidance on how they can be used.
• The design preferences: models you like or references for an original concept.
• The delivery requirements: arrival date and destination.
• The reviewers: who will approve transaction facts, branding and recipient details.

It is helpful to explain which features are essential and which you’re open to discussing. You might need all company names to be easy to read, for example, while still being flexible about the outline of the award.

Should you personalize an existing model or request an original design?

If your main aim is to present the transaction wording and logos clearly, you can start by comparing existing models for size, marking area and supported personalization options. This gives you specific products to discuss with the proposed inscription in mind.

If a distinctive shape or construction is part of the idea, describe why it matters and ask about feasibility. A reference image is more useful when you explain what you like about it, such as its outline, display angle or arrangement of lettering.

How do you fit several logos and company names onto the award?

Share the complete approved content before deciding on a model. A layout that has room for one logo and a date may need to be reconsidered when several organizations and a longer transaction description are included.

You can help by identifying what should be most prominent, whether that is the transaction name, the participating organizations or a milestone message. Ask which marking methods and colors the selected product supports, then review the artwork at the intended size to judge readability.

What should you check on the artwork proof?

Compare the proof with the approved source document, even when you know the transaction well. Check the company names, description and date first, then review the logo versions, spacing and relative size of the text. If the awards have individual recipient details, check each version against the approved list or agree how those variations will be reviewed.

For confidential transactions, use only text and branding approved for the award and keep the review within the authorized group. If the final wording isn’t ready to share, confirm what can be discussed in the initial design inquiry.

Before confirming the order

Check the model, size, quantities, recipient versions and current inclusions against the quote, along with the delivery destination. Share the required arrival date and confirm how artwork review, production and shipping fit into the schedule.

With the wording and recipient details agreed, you can focus on choosing a custom deal toy that suits the occasion and the place where it will be displayed.